What is "The North East Smart Ticketing Initiative"?

The NESTI programme will create a smart ticketing infrastructure that covers the public transport network in the North East. The Programme is funded by the 12 Local Authorities in the North East, the Tyne and Wear Integrated Transport Authority (TWITA) and Nexus. Learn more »

NESTI Time Line

The confirmed programme:

1) Smart ticket machines installed on all eligible buses and at all Metro stations in the North East;

2) A back-office system to manage the infrastructure;

3) A range of ways for customers to buy operators’ smart ticketing products and load them to a smartcard, via a regional retail network; and,

4) A marketing programme to explain the benefits of smart ticketing to customers and encourage them to use it to access public transport.

The intended programme:

1) A Regional Pay As You Travel product;

2) A retail network to support the Regional Pay As You Travel product and allow customers to buy operators’ smart ticketing products and load them to a smartcard;

3) Develop options to include the smaller bus operators and regional rail services in NESTI; and,

4) Expand the use beyond transport with the potential to integrate the cards with Local Authority Services.

Who is NESTI?

The NESTI programme is funded and/or supported by the 12 Local Authorities in the North East, The Tyne and Wear Integrated Transport Authority, Nexus and the major public transport operators in the Region.